Inside ATL: how Delta juggles 100,000 bags a day at the world's busiest airport

Delta Air Lines ramp agent Mike Davis prepares to load passenger luggage on his cart while working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, on May 13, 2026. Alyssa Pointer for NPR hide caption toggle caption Alyssa Pointer for NPR ATLANTA — Before the plane even arrives, Mike Davis is on his way to the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport . "So we have two bags to pick up, with one stop," Davis explained from behind the wheel of a baggage tug that ferries luggage to and from planes. Davis works for Delta Air Lines on the ramp, as airlines call the bustling area of pavement between the terminal and the taxiway. He's waiting when the jet pulls up, and bags start rolling down the conveyor belt. Davis grabs two suitcases off the belt, pulls out a handheld computer that looks like an extra-rugged iPad, and scans the bar codes on the luggage tags. "Now I take it, I scan it, it gives me a green scan sign saying it's A-okay," Davis said. Then he's off again, navigating around dozens of other tugs, trucks and planes, constantly on the move from terminal to terminal and gate to gate. Memorial Day kicks off the busiest time of year for U.S. airlines, with millions of passengers in the air — and millions of bags too. On a busy day, Delta handles more than 100,000 bags in Atlanta alone, with three-quarters passing through en route to their final destinations. An average of nine airline employees handle each of those bags at some point on its journey. …